


transcends time and space

by grassandcitrus



Category: Free!
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, SASO2015, interstellar au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-14
Updated: 2015-06-14
Packaged: 2018-04-04 08:26:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4131018
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/grassandcitrus/pseuds/grassandcitrus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Does it have to be you?” </p>
<p>The question hung in the air for a moment, before Rei choked a bit and mumbled, “Of course it does. Of course, it couldn’t be anyone but you.”</p>
<p>[interstellar au where Nagisa is traveling to find a new home, and Rei is trying to find a way off the old one]</p>
            </blockquote>





	transcends time and space

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the prompt "interstellar au" for dw user solfuric.
> 
> Title taken from the quote "Love is the one thing we're capable of perceiving that transcends time and space."

“Does it have to be you?” 

The question hung in the air for a moment, before Rei choked a bit and mumbled, “Of course it does. Of course, it couldn’t be anyone but you.”

Nagisa answered with a smile, one that didn’t reach his eyes and conveyed more than words really ever could. Rei could feel his heart breaking because he knew Nagisa was going to be leaving, gone, and he wouldn’t be back. It was a suicide mission. There was no way Nagisa could possibly be coming back. Not from another galaxy. 

But he would go.

“Rei. I have to. It’s another galaxy, and new planets. It’s what I was meant to do - I could save the Earth!” Nagisa told him, the sad smile never leaving his face; Rei wanted more than anything to wipe the sadness out of his face. Nagisa was always beautiful, always full of life, and this was killing him, killing both of them. “If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have any reservations,” Nagisa continued.

“You’ll die,” Rei stated, looking down at Nagisa.

“I’ll be back before you know it,” Nagisa told him, putting a hand on his arm.

“You don’t know that,” Rei said, quietly.

“I’ll think about you all the time. I’ll think about you when I’m looking into a black hole and think ‘this is amazing, but you know what’s better? Rei is’,” Nagisa told him.

“You idiot,” Rei said as the tears he’d been holding began to fall and he pulled Nagisa into a kiss. “You come back, and I’ll figure out how to get us off Earth.”

“It’s a deal,” Nagisa said through the kiss.

…

“A year’s passed. You aren’t home yet, but that isn’t surprising. You’re not even in the other galaxy yet, I can’t imagine you’d be able to come home yet. You aren’t allowed to return until you’ve saved the Earth yet, anyway. Rin and Haru are still trying to best each other in swimming. I wish you were here. Nothing’s the same without you here.”

…

“Can you believe it? All of our friends are off, married and having real jobs. Just yesterday it seemed like we were just dumb teenagers. We’re - well, we’re just dumb adults now. I still don’t feel like an adult. And I’m not seeing anyone. How could I - I know you haven’t responded in a couple years but I know, you have to be out there somewhere. I love you. I miss you so much. Can’t you save the Earth yet?”

…

“Nothing down here is working - none of our formulas work and no matter how many times I rethink it, I can’t fix the problem. If you were here, you’d tell me I was being stupid, but - well, if you were here, then I’d really be stupid, because I haven’t figured it out and you’d have already found a new home. I’m going to have something by the time you’re back though. I know it. I wish you were here anyway, even if only to tell me I’m being stupid.”

…

“Nagisa, you asshole. I’m 35 now, you know. Today’s my birthday. You said you’d be back before I knew it and 15 years is not ‘before I know it’ by any known standard of time. When you get back I’m going to have to have a stern talking to you about the concept of time. I don’t even know how old you’ll be. Are you still a teenager now? I’m sorry. I can’t deal with this right now.”

…

“We all have a nasty cough now. It’s the blight, and the dust, and everything that’s making the earth unlivable. I’m glad - I’m glad you escaped this. It’s awful down here. But. I’m still going to save us. I swear. You’ll get back, and I’ll have the way to get off the planet, and we’ll be able to get to our new home. The one you found for us.”

…

“Rin tells me I need to acknowledge the fact that you’re never coming back. I - I think I’ve always known you weren’t coming back. Even if you’re still alive somehow, it doesn’t matter. There was never a way to get us off Earth. We can’t do it. Not through any means we have at hand - we were always fighting a losing battle. So at least you escaped. At least you’ll live. I love you so much.”

…

“For a while I think these messages helped me. But now they’re only making things worse. And I. I have to stop now. I’ll never stop looking for a way to save us. But you’re never coming back. And sending these videos isn’t helping anyone. I hope the best for you, out there in the universe. I’ll always love you. And… I miss you. More than I can bear.”

…

“I told you I’d be back,” he said as he entered the room.

“Yes, but you said you’d be back before I knew it. Most of my life isn’t that,” Rei told him, with about as much humor as he could muster after seeing Nagisa for the first time in decades. He hadn’t aged, not much since the day he’d left. Rei had.

“I know. You told me you’d give me a stern talking to about that in one of your videos.”

“You got them?”

“All of them,” Nagisa said, sitting down in the chair next to Rei and reaching for his hand.

“You idiot,” was all Rei could muster to say as he stared at Nagisa, trying to take him in. He was like a ghost, even though he could feel his fingers, could tell he was actually there.

“I’m here now,” Nagisa told him, gripping his hand, “And you saved the world.”

“With your help.”

Nagisa huffed a laugh at Rei. 

“Nobody will believe that we’re the same age,” Rei commented to Nagisa, looking at his wrinkled hand in Nagisa’s.

“Well, we do.” Nagisa told him, “It’s not like it matters, anyway. I’m not going anywhere. Not now.”


End file.
